A Secret Life
by pmbb
Summary: The members of SRU's Team One think they know all about their shoot first, ask questions later ex-JTF2 rookie but how will they react when they learn that there's way more to him than meets the eye? Rewrite of my story 'Sam's Secret'. IMPORTANT UPDATE - ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Here it is, the first chapter of the "Sam's Secret' rewrite.**

**You'll probably notice that the first few chapters will be similar to the ones in Sam's Secret. That's intentional, as storylines and characters are being introduced.**

**Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter One: Unseen Pictures**

"What the hell was that Braddock?!" Ed raged as he glared at the blonde rookie. The two suspects hadn't even been handed over to the unis before Ed started yelling at him. "You deliberately went against orders AND you broke cover!"

Ed continued his rampage, but Sam had zoned out. He had heard it all before. Several times. He'd been on Team One for over a month now and things were just as rocky as they were day one, if not worse.

At the beginning, Sam thought the SRU was pretty similar to JTF2; both were the best of the best, always had to be at the top of their game, and the teams were like family. However, that's where he felt the similarities ended.

With the JTF2, it was always shoot first, ask questions later and, while they didn't get to pick the members in their unit, they learned how to work together. The SRU always tried to connect with their suspects first—something they'd yet to do with their own teammate.

A lifetime with a General as a father and two tours with Special Forces made for hard habits to break. Sam was trying his hardest to change his ways, but none of his "teammates" cared to try and help; all they did was berate him.

Not one member of Team One bothered to correct him when he made a mistake or give him advise when they saw him struggling; they just yelled at him.

Not one member of Team One bothered to get to know him; they just judged him based on preconceived notions regarding his military background and the comments of others.

This call was no different, though Sam thought it should have been. Ed had assigned him Sierra One and ordered him to a specific position. Sam went without argument, like the good soldier he'd been raised to be, even though he knew it wasn't the best position from a tactical standpoint.

When things started going south with the gunmen, Sam made the decision to break cover and move from his Sierra spot to a position that was more exposed, but tactically better, to watch his teammates' backs.

If looks could kill, Sam would've been dead fifty times over from the menacing look he saw on Ed's face through his scope. It was a look that would've installed fear in anyone else but for Sam, it just foreshadowed the explosive dressing down he was sure to get; the same dressing down he got every time he did something his team leader thought was "wrong".

Greg was able to talk both gunmen down and get everyone out. The hostages were safe, no one had been harmed, and no lives had to be taken. The call was a success, only Ed didn't see it that way. The only thing Ed saw was Sam disobeying his orders, like he always did.

"Well?! Are you going to say anything or are you just going to stand there?" Ed roared, staring at the silent ex-Special Forces soldier in front of him. He watched as the faraway look in Sam's eyes was replaced with a look of anger.

Sam sighed. He was tired of being treated like an outsider with no skills. "Things went south and the subjects moved. I didn't have a clear visual on them, the hostages or any of you guys in the position you put me in, so I moved."

Ed exhaled loudly. "Next time you want to go against orders, you better clear it with me or the boss first."

Ed turned to walk away and Sam rolled his eyes_. _"Like asking permission would make a difference," Sam mumbled.

Ed stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face Sam, a terrifying look on his face. "What was that Braddock?"

By this time, Greg, Wordy, Spike, Lou and Jules had made it back to the SUVs where Sam and Ed were having their talk. The five of them looked at Sam, waiting to see if cocky rookie answered.

"I said 'like asking permission would make a difference'." Sam answered, staring back at Ed with a glare that was just as fierce. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest and continued talking. "I go against orders; I get yelled at. I put my opinion out there or speak my mind about something, I get yelled at. Whatever it is, no matter how big or small, I get yelled at and yet NO ONE here has even bothered to try and help me or show me the ropes. You throw me into the scene and wait for me to fail. You want my respect? It's a two-way street."

No one had ever heard Sam blow up like that with anyone, especially Ed. They were all so shocked by his outburst that no one said anything; they just stared at him, mouths ajar.

Sam didn't know what came over him. He was taught to never speak like that to a superior—that was a lesson the General made sure stuck—but he had had enough of Ed's crap. All the anger and emotions he had been bottling up since joining SRU erupted out of him and, for once, he didn't bother to try and push them back down.

"I'll follow your lead and obey your orders," Sam continued, "but if you think for one second that I'm going to stand by and let someone hurt the members on my team while I wait for permission, you are sadly mistaken."

Before either Sam or Ed could say anything else, Greg and Wordy both stepped in to separate the two hotheads before their verbal sparring turned into physical sparring.

Sending his TL and rookie to two different SUVs, Greg shook his head at the current state of his team.

Once Team One's job was done, and the unis had the scene under control, everyone got back in the SUVs to head back to the Barn for debrief—a debrief none of them were looking forward too.

...

Debrief went the same as all the rest. No one saw the reason behind Sam breaking cover—all they saw was him disobeying orders. No one tried to see his side of things, or even hear him out. No one even tried to stick up for him and stop the multitude of yelling aimed at him.

Sam figured he'd be used to being yelled at by now. After all, growing up with General Badass as a father and spending years in the military had him well-versed in all types of yelling. However, Sam joined the SRU expecting it to be different, but he was learning first hand that it was not different at all.

...

Sam was the last one to enter the locker room after the debrief ended, a phone call delaying his arrival. By the time he made it in and was changing back into his civilian clothes the other members of Team One were dressed and ready to head out to grab an after-shift drink.

As Sam sat on the bench in front of his locker to put his shoes on, he found himself staring at the many, many pictures on his locker door—pictures he was sure his team hadn't even noticed.

The exhaustion that came with being hated by your entire team was starting to wear on Sam. He reached up to rub his forehead, trying to suppress the headache that threatened to start, and immediately heard scoffs from his teammates. He heard murmurs about how he was "sulking" after being chewed out, but he paid them no mind and finished getting dressed.

As Sam stood up ready to go, Ed, Greg, Wordy, Spike and Lou all passed behind him on their way out of the locker room. They walked right past him, not bothering to invite him out with them, not bothering to tell him goodbye; they didn't even bother a simple look his way.

Had they looked back at him, they would've seen straight into his locker and the pictures that covered the back of his locker door. There were a few photos from his days in the army, but the rest were of three very special things.

There were several pictures of Sam with a beautiful woman with light brown hair and blue eyes. One of the photos was old, their very first picture together. There was a photo from the night Sam proposed, one taken on base with Sam in fatigues after he got back from his last deployment, a photo of both families together at their rehearsal dinner and a photo of the two on their wedding day, both smiling happily and so in love.

There was one final picture hanging in Sam's locker; the most recent sonogram photo of the newest addition to the Braddock family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Braddock Family**

As Sam left the locker room and made his way out to his car, he waved goodbye to Winnie and the members of Team Four, who had just started their pre-shift workout.

In the time he'd been with the SRU, Sam had gotten close to Team Four; they were usually coming on shift when Team One was finishing theirs and they often ran into each other in the locker room. In fact, Sam had gotten close with all the SRU teams, except for Team One. His own team hated him.

_I must be cursed,_ Sam thought to himself as he exited the Barn and arrived at his car. It seemed, to him, that every team he had ever been placed on hated his guts. Sure, his JTF2 team only hated him for a few days, but they could always put their feeling aside and focus on the task at hand, something his teammates on Team One have yet to do, and he wasn't with the 51st division long enough for anyone to hate him.

As Sam climbed inside his car and started the engine the radio kicked on. The song that was playing instantly calmed Sam and brought a smile to his face; it was the same song he and his wife danced to at their wedding almost one year ago. Leaving the SRU parking lot and heading home, Sam thought back to that night.

_The dance floor had been cleared and their friends and family members crowded along the edges, all wanting to get a good view at the happy couple. Sam, smiling brightly, led his new wife onto the dance floor and held her close as the DJ started playing 'I Get to Love You' through the speakers. _

_Despite the blinding lights from camera flashes, Sam and his bride were in their own little world, swaying to the music in the middle of the dance floor. _

_Sam placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Mrs. Braddock."_

_"Well I guess it's a good thing I love you too, Mr. Braddock." She said teasingly, eyes twinkling._

_Sam laughed and pulled her close again, relishing their last few moments together before the guests descended back onto the floor to continue the reception festivities._

Despite the song on the radio having changed at least twice, Sam kept his thoughts on that wonderful day. It was, hands down, one of the best days of his life.

There were times, especially after hard days at the SRU, when Sam questioned whether moving to Toronto was the best idea. Leaving the military—something he's known since birth—and their families behind, especially since they were now starting one of their own, was a difficult decision. At the time, Toronto seemed like the new beginning they needed but now, with the way the relationship between Sam and Team One was going, Sam wasn't too sure.

However, as Sam pulled into the parking spot next to his wife's car, his thoughts drifted back to her and how happy _she _was here. She made everything worthwhile and as long as she was happy, Sam would put up with anything.

Turning off the car, Sam grabbed his bag and headed inside—leaving his bad day behind him. He had far more important and happier things to focus on and think about.

...

Entering the apartment, Sam locked the door behind him and threw his keys on the table next to the door. He slipped his shoes off and dropped his bag next to them, making a mental note to repack it before he went to bed. "Linds? I'm home!"

"In the kitchen!" She called out.

Sam smiled and walked over to the kitchen, coming to a stop in the doorway. He just watched for a moment as his wife stirred the cooking pot of pasta on the stove before he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

She startled slightly at the feeling of her husband's arms around her, still not use to his ability to move so quietly. Setting her spoon down, she turned around in his arms and wrapped her own arms around him.

"Hi," she said, reaching up to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Welcome home."

"Hello to you too," Sam said with a smile after kissing her back.

"How was work?" When the smile on Sam's face shrunk ever so slightly—something that would've gone unnoticed by anyone else—she frowned. "That bad huh?"

Sam sighed. His wife knew him too well.

Lindsay Braddock was the perfect match for Sam. While Sam could be stubborn and hot-headed, Lindsay was calm, cool and collected. She was confident, intelligent, beautiful and understanding, especially when it came to military (and ex-military) life. She and Sam first met when they were young kids; their fathers were both stationed Germany for a few years. After several station changes for both families, the two reunited the summer after high school. Lindsay was getting ready to start at the University of Ottawa and Sam was preparing to head off to basic training. Their relationship this time was more than just friendly hair pulling and chasing each other around the playground on base; there was a romance that neither had planned for but was not against. Their fathers, both Generals at this point, surprisingly gave their blessings.

Despite the stress (and lack of free time) basic training and enlisted military life created, Sam and Lindsay's relationship continued to thrive and flourish. Not even Sam's first (and longest) deployment seemed to affect their love. Within his first week back home, Sam proposed, and Lindsay said yes before Sam could even finish asking the question.

Then his second deployment came, and Matt died, and their relationship was really put to the test. Through sadness, loss and unimaginable and overwhelming guilt, their relationship managed to persevere. They married six months after Sam returned home.

Over the next eight months, Lindsay graduated with her Masters, Sam got his official discharge and was finally finished with the army, Sam graduated from the police academy and joined the 51st division, they found out they were pregnant and moved their entire life to Toronto for Sam to join the SRU.

Through all the change and turmoil that plagued their relationship the past few years, Lindsay was the constant in Sam's life and the one thing that kept him going. She was the best pick me up he needed, but ever since he joined the SRU, she seemed to be working overtime in that department.

"Same old, same old." Sam said with a slight shoulder shrug. "I don't want to talk about that. How was your day?"

Lindsay just stared at him for a moment before answering. "It was good. The kids were great, as usual. You can still help chaperone the field trip on Friday, right?"

"Yeah, after tomorrow's shift I have the next three days off."

"Wow. I get you for a whole weekend _and _as a chaperone for my field trip? How did I ever get so lucky?" She asked teasingly.

Sam laughed and moved his hands to rest against his wife's noticeable baby bump. "And how's the little one doing?"

Lindsay smiled and rested her hand on top of his. "Active as usual."

"That's my boy!" Sam cheered.

He removed his hands and worked to get the table set and ready for dinner.

Lindsay shook her head but smiled as she finished preparing dinner. "You know it could be a girl…"

"For the sake of my sanity during the teenage years, I hope not."

Lindsay snorted as she walked over to the table, garlic bread and pasta in hand. "Please! I knew you growing up, remember? You think either one of us would keep our sanity with a little Braddock boy running around?"

"Hey!" Sam said as he brought their drinks to the table. He pulled Lindsay's chair out before seating himself. "I was not that bad."

"You pulled my pigtails every day!"

"Only because I thought you were cute!"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and they both started laughing before digging into their dinner.

...

A few hours later, as Sam readied himself for bed, he once again found himself thinking about their life in Toronto. While the SRU wasn't what he thought it'd be, he knew his wife was more than happy teaching first grade and he knew their child would grow up loving Toronto as well.

Placing a kiss on his already sleeping wife's head, Sam settled in next to her. At the end of the day, he would tough it out at the SRU and he would make the best out of their new home in Toronto because there wasn't ANYTHING Sam wouldn't do for his family.

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**I'm not 100% set on the title, so if y'all have any suggestions let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I was going to wait and upload this once I had a few chapters done and stock piled, but I got a lot of reviews and requests to upload soon, so here ya go!**

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**Chapter Three: Three Day Weekend**

Three days.

Three days of freedom after more than a week straight of work and Sam could not be happier; this was the longest stretch he'd worked, without a break, since he joined the SRU and it had definitely taken its toll on him. His stress was at an all-time high, his mind and body felt sluggish, and his pregnant wife (who got up at least twice a night to use the restroom) was sleeping better than he was. Sam needed to rest and regroup and the best way he knew how to do that was to spend time with the love of his life.

Lindsay had her first graders to keep her busy during the week, and anything beat a deployment overseas, but the weekends when Sam worked were always a little more difficult to deal with. She was looking forward to their weekend together and her kiddos were looking forward to 'Mr. Sam' coming to help on their field trip.

Friday was the first day of Sam's three-day weekend and it was also the day of Lindsay's class field trip. Despite others finding it daunting or considering it awful, Sam was actually looking forward to spending his day with his wife, a few other parents, and eighteen first graders at the zoo. During their lunch break, once the kids had finished eating, they ran around the picnic area, laughing, screaming and chasing Sam around.

Lindsay was under the pavilion, monitoring the remaining kids still eating, but from her position she was still able to see Sam and the other kids running around and playing. It brought a smile to her face and she lovingly cradled her baby bump for a minute.

One of the chaperoning mothers saw her and came over. "Tommy was so excited when he told me 'Mr. Sam' was going to be a 'saperoni' on the field trip and now I see why; the kids absolutely love him. He's going to make an amazing father. Your little one is very lucky."

Lindsay flashed her a smile. "Thank you. We both are."

After lunch was finished, the kids were rounded up and they finished their zoo trip with an animal show before getting on the bus and heading back to the school. Once there, Sam read the kids a story to calm them down (and get them out of 'field trip mode') before saying goodbye to them and Lindsay and leaving.

When Lindsay arrived home a few hours later, she found that Sam had her favorite road trip snacks ready and packed their suitcase for a surprise weekend getaway. Sam wouldn't tell her where they were going, and Lindsay knew trying to force it out of him was useless, so she resigned herself to writing lesson plans in the car while Sam drove to their mystery destination.

Two hours later, thanks to rush hour traffic, Sam pulled into the parking lot of their destination. Turning the car off, Sam turned and found his wife asleep in the passenger seat.

He gently shook her arm. "Linds? We're here."

Lindsay blinked awake and found herself sitting in a hotel parking lot. As she became more awake, she heard the sound of rushing water and upon further inspection, she found the source.

"Niagara Falls?!" She asked excitedly.

Sam laughed at the happy look on her face. "I knew you wanted to go and it's really a shame that we live so close and haven't been down here yet. I figured it'd make a nice little weekend getaway."

"I love you," Lindsay said sweetly. "This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it. Now, we should probably get inside and get checked in because we have dinner reservations at the hotel's restaurant in about 45 minutes."

Lindsay's eyes and smile grew bigger, clearly excited by the new information. Sam had to laugh. Ever since his wife had gotten pregnant, her appetite had grown to rival his own. Granted she was eating for two, but every time Sam saw how excited she got about food he couldn't help but laugh.

The two got out of the car and Sam grabbed their bag. They checked in, got to their room and freshened up a little bit before they headed down to the hotel restaurant for a five-star dining experience.

Once dinner (and dessert because this was their special weekend) was finished, Sam and Lindsay walked around the hotel grounds before settling back into their room for the night.

One day into their three-day weekend and it was already shaping up to be one to remember.

Day two started a little differently than most of Sam's mornings. Whether he worked or not, he typically woke up early to go on a long run and then hit the gym. At first Sam blamed his military training and being raised by a General but since joining the SRU, his off-duty workouts were his most effective stress reliever. However, on this Saturday, he allowed himself to sleep in.

Even though he slept in, Sam was still awake before Lindsay. He showered, changed and prepared for the day while Lindsay got in a few more minutes of sleep. Once she woke up, she hopped in the shower while Sam ordered them breakfast from room service.

An hour later, Sam and Lindsay were fed and dressed and heading down to the hotel's spa. Sam had booked the 'Romantic Retreat' package which included a Swedish couples massage, mud back treatment, hot stone foot massage, a hydrotherapy bubble bath, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne (or sparkling water for Lindsay).

After they were done, Lindsay got a mani/pedi while Sam got a haircut.

Once they were all finished, and thoroughly relaxed, they went to a nearby shopping center to walk around, have lunch and window shop, though they did go in to a few of the baby stores and pick out a few things.

Their day ended with a nice dinner at a nearby steak house and a sunset boat tour of Niagara Falls, complete with watching fireworks from the boat once the sun completely set.

Back in their hotel room, Sam and Lindsay got ready for bed. They ordered some light snacks from room service and settled in with a movie for the night.

The last day of their wonderful three-day weekend was the most boring of the three. It started with Sam and Lindsay packing up, checking out of their hotel and making the drive back to Toronto., stopping for lunch along the way.

Once home, Sam unpacked the car while Lindsay got a load of laundry started. She finished her lesson plans for the coming few weeks while the laundry finished and Sam had a much needed workout in at the gym in their apartment complex.

Two hours later, Sam was back (and showered) from his workout and Lindsay had the laundry and her lesson plans finished. They were both ready to start preparing dinner, but quickly remembered they left little to no food in the fridge due to their weekend away. Tired of eating out, and in desperate need of a good home cooked meal, Sam and Lindsay headed to the grocery store.

Despite being hungry, Sam and Lindsay leisurely walked up and down the aisles, picking up what they needed for the night's dinner and for the rest of the week's meals. Sam waited at the end of the aisle, out of the way, while Lindsay went down a crowded aisle to pick up a few things. Watching his wife find someone she knew and start a conversation with them, Sam knew it'd be a while before his social butterfly of a wife returned to him so he pulled out his phone and scrolled through some emails.

Despite being focused on his phone, Sam's ever-present 'super soldier' senses were still on high alert. However, he was still surprised when he heard a familiar but unexpected voice beside him.

"Sam?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for any typos! I'm editing and uploading this from my phone so you guys don't have to wait any longer! I'm also at work, so I don't have the time I would like to go through and make sure everything is correct. **

**I also had the whole chapter written and then I decided to scrap it and go a different direction.**

**Thanks for being patient with uploads! I recently moved, started a new job, had to travel A LOT for work and I was without WiFi for a while. **

**I started rewatching Flashpoint on Hulu so hopefully motivation and inspiration to keep writing won't be a problem. (;**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Four: Officer Down**

"Troy!" Sam said with a smile.

He wasn't expecting to see Team Four's Sergeant at the grocery store, but he was glad it was Troy and not someone else from the SRU, mainly his team. Troy, and the rest of Team Four especially, accepted Sam into the SRU right away and he was becoming quite good friends with them, unlike his own team who barely gave him the time of day.

Sam and Troy chatted for a few minutes until Lindsay found her way back to Sam's side. Lindsay introduced herself to Troy and easily fell into their conversation.

Troy wasn't shocked or surprised that Sam was married or that he and his wife were expecting a baby. He already knew.

All of Team Four knew.

Commander Holleran knew.

Others in the SRU knew because they had taken the time to talk to Sam and get to know him. The only ones who didn't, were his own teammates.

After talking with Troy for a few more minutes, they all parted ways to finish shopping and head home. They both had to work the next day and, after the weekend they'd had, neither of them were ready for it.

...

Sam was thankful for a three-day weekend to relax with his wife but Team One's first shift back was shaping up to be absolute hell and he wished he was still on vacation.

They'd had multiple hot calls all over the city. Between Team One and Team Four, the SRU had responded to twelve hot calls; apparently everyone in Toronto was deciding to solve their problems with guns and knives and anything other than their words.

Their most recent call had all the makings to be the biggest, most intense call of the day. Guns and Gangs had been working on a smuggling case involving a local gang and got a tip that things were going down so both Teams One and Four had been called to back them up.

The shipping docks were huge; dozens upon dozens of cargo containers were stacked on top of one another making several neat aisles big enough for forklifts to drive through and creating several places where a gang of smugglers could hide from police.

Despite Teams One and Four being on the scene to help Guns and Gangs, you didn't have to have any amount of tactical know-how to know that the location was providing several tactical disadvantages. Thankfully, they had the aerial support from the police helicopter and the officers in the air were able to see what the officers on the ground couldn't and direct them to their targets. There was, however, one major downside to using a helicopter—there is no "stealth mode" with a loud helicopter flying overhead. With that in mind, it was decided that the helicopter would only fly over once the initial bust was done to help with any gang members that had maybe gone astray.

On the ground, the members of Team One, Team Four and Guns and Gangs were partnered up in groups of two or three and given their holding area. The plan was to surround the gang, and their shipment, from all sides. Guns and Gangs had even called in the Coast Guard to cover the waterfront.

...

Guns and Gangs led the charge, with Teams One and Four providing coverage. The bust went smooth, for the most part, though there were quite a few more gang members than their intel had told them. Several tried to make a run for it and were quickly captured and arrested.

Two however, gave everyone the slip. One led Sam, Spike and Shawn (from Team Four) through the rows and rows of cargo containers and the other ran from Eric, Jules and Lou and jumped in the water, only to be apprehended by the Coast Guard.

Hearing the commotion of the chase over the comms, Greg called in the police helo to help. Within a minute or two of being in the air, the officers in the helicopter reported the location where the chase had led and that the suspect had been cornered.

The remaining members of Team One and Team Four headed to where Spike, Sam and Shawn were with the last suspect, leaving Guns and Gangs to handle the rest.

Their pace was quick, wanting to get to their teammates and get this call finished, but it increased to a full-blown sprint when they heard the sound of gun shots.

Their pace was quick, wanting to get to their teammates and get this call finished, but it was increased to a full-blown sprint when they heard gunshots. Their pace increased once again when they heard both Spike and Shawn yell "Sam!" over the comms, fear clearly evident in their voices.

"Spike, status!" Ed called over the comms, fearful of what the report would be.

"Shawn, talk to me!" Troy added, calling to his teammate.

"Subject's contained; he's cuffed with a through-and-through to the arm." Spike said hurriedly, then added quietly, "Oh shit."

"Spike, what's going on?"

"Sam's been shot!" Shawn chimed in. "Officer down! Get the medics over here NOW!"

At Shawn's revelation, the hearts of Team One sank. Sure, Sam wasn't their favorite person, but he was still a member of their team (whether they chose him or not) and no one liked when a teammate was hurt.

Both teams picked up their speed and ran faster than any of them had probably ever ran. Turning past a stack of cargo containers to where Sam, Spike, and Shawn were, they came face to face with the horror that was the current situation.

The suspect that had been the cause of all of this sat handcuffed up against a shipping container, the gunshot wound in his upper arm sluggishly bleeding. Sam was deathly pale, lying semi-conscious in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood. Shawn was kneeling beside him holding one of the pressure bandages they always carried with them to the gushing gunshot wound on Sam's leg. The knees of Shawn's "cool pants" were stained with Sam's blood as the pool of blood around him, unfortunately, continued to grow. Spike was kneeling on Sam's other side, by his head, and was using another pressure bandage to try and control the bleeding stemming from the gunshot graze near Sam's temple.

Shawn threw the soaked pressure bandage he was using to the side and grabbed another. In the few seconds his hand was away from Sam's thigh, the wound continued to gush blood in a pulsing manner. Shawn quickly got the new pressure bandage on the wound and held it tight.

Shawn looked up at the SRU officers around him. He said, gravely, "I think it hit an artery."

At his words, the other members of Team One and Team Four sprang into action. Greg and Troy both immediately radioed in to call for the EMS on scene and for an additional ambulance to be sent out.

Wordy dropped by Sam's side and his fingers immediately went to the inside of Sam's wrist. "His pulse is weak."

Ed dropped down in next to Wordy and put his hand on Sam's chest. He could feel Sam's short, frantic breaths and the rapid rise and fall of his chest. Ed leaned over and looked Sam in the face. "Sam, look at me. Don't try to talk, just look at me." Ed waited for Sam's eyes to find his and when they did, Ed felt his heart break at the fear he saw in them. Fear was an emotion he had never associated with the sniper. "You're going to be OK." Ed told him, trying to soothe the fear and tension he saw and felt in Sam's body.

He could see that it was bad, everyone could, and he knew that Sam knew it was bad, but Ed needed to remain positive and hopeful. Sam needed him to stay positive and hopeful.

The remaining members of Team Four were on their knees on Sam's other side. A few were helping Shawn apply pressure to the wound or tying a tourniquet to try and stop the bleeding while the others were talking to Sam and trying to keep him conscious.

That's what surprised Team One the most about the whole interaction; the members of Team Four were talking to Sam, mentioning things about what he had done over the weekend and talking about his family, things they—his own team—didn't even know.

Sam fought hard to stay awake, but he was too weak from the blood loss and he lost his battle with consciousness just as the first set of paramedics arrived.

They immediately began working to treat and stabilize Sam seeing that he was, without a doubt, the most critical of the two injured victims.

The paramedics made everyone move away from Sam except Shawn, who was continuing to apply pressure to the still bleeding wound on Sam's leg. After the paramedics check all of Sam's vitals, get him started on an IV, and check the tourniquet, they tell Shawn to move away and they replace his pressure bandage with a new one of their own.

Shawn rocked back on his heels and watched helplessly as the paramedics worked to save his friend and fellow officer.

The paramedics tried to keep their faces calm and blank, as to not worry the large group of concerned SRU members watching their every move, but their quick, hasty movements, and the dangerously large pool of blood on the ground, showed the true severity of the situation. The two paramedics, Mitch and Justin, along with Ed, Wordy, Spike and Shawn carefully moved Sam onto the stretcher.

Strapping him down and securing him to the stretcher, Mitch and Justin rushed Sam down the row of shipping containers and into the waiting ambulance. Lights flashing and sirens blaring, the ambulance peeled away from the docks and sped off towards the hospital.

The despondent members of Team One and Team Four had followed Sam out to the ambulance but, due to the severity of Sam's condition, none of them were allowed to ride with him. They watched as the ambulance carrying their critically injured teammate and friend off to the hospital.

As the first ambulance left, another arrived at the scene to tend to the injured suspect.

Casting one final glance back at the large pool of Sam's blood on the floor, Teams One and Four met a despairing Guns and Gangs Sargent in the parking lot. Everyone piled into the SUVs and headed off to the hospital, leaving G&G and the unis in charge of the scene. There was somewhere more important they needed to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**It's slow at work, thanks to the torrential rain and bad weather (pretty much the only perk of living in Tornado Alley this time of year), so I've had some time to write!**

**I hope you guys enjoy!**

**(and all you midwestern-ers and my fellow Tornado Alley occupants, stay safe out there!)**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Secret's Out**

Three long hours after arriving at the hospital and Team One had still not heard anything about Sam, other than he was in surgery. Over the past four hours, each member of Team One had left the hospital and returned in their civilian clothes and with either food or coffee for the waiting group. Team One had been taken off duty for the rest of their shift, complements of Commander Holleran, after Team Three had been called in early.

While they waited for an update, each member of Team One found themselves thinking about their injured teammate.

When they had first arrived at the hospital, a nurse in the ER gave them paperwork to fill out for Sam. The only thing they could fill out was his name. It wasn't until the members of Team Four arrived, that they were able to fill out the rest of the paperwork.

To say that the members of Team One were shocked when Troy took the paperwork and quickly filled out all the missing information was an understatement.

"How do you know Sam's birthday? Or any of that other information about him?" Wordy asked, clearly confused as to why Team Four's Sargent seemed to know a lot about the sniper.

"Why don't YOU guys know his birthday? He's been on your team for months now!" Shawn asked, angered. His emotions were still running high after that call and although Sam's blood was no longer staining his clothes, the memory of it was still as fresh as ever.

"He never said anything!" Jules exclaimed. "You know he's not forthcoming with any information."

"Can you blame him?!" Shawn fumed. "You guys have treated him like crap since he started! I bet none of you have even cared enough to ask him when his birthday is or anything else about him…"

"Easy Shawn," Troy said, cutting off his teammate before he said anything he'd regret. "Why don't you go give these to the nurse so we can head out. Holleran wants us back at the Barn until shift change."

Troy handed the paperwork to Shawn who took it to the nurse's station before heading straight back out to the SUVs with his teammates, not even glancing back at Team One. Troy started to follow his team but stopped to look at Team One. "Keep us updated."

Then, he was gone.

The members of Team One, shocked by Shawn's outburst and Team Four's coolness towards them, looked at each other silently. _Was Shawn right?_

_..._

Tension was thick in the private waiting room the SRU officers had been moved to.

After Shawn's outburst, Team One realized that he was right. They treated gun-wielding suspects with more kindness and respect than they did Sam, their own teammate. They decided right then and there that if Sam survived this—when Sam survived this—they would try their hardest to right their wrongs. They just hoped they would get the chance.

Team One was seated on one side of the waiting room and most of Team Four was on the other side, a few empty chairs divided the two teams.

When all of Team Four arrived almost an hour earlier, it seemed like all of the anger from earlier had been replaced solely with concern for Sam. That was, however, until they found out that in the two hours Team One had been at the hospital they hadn't received an update on Sam's condition or called his family.

Upon hearing that bit of news, Troy and Shawn immediately left the room, letting the door slam behind them.

"What was that about?!" Ed asked.

"You guys have been here for two hours and you don't have a single update you can give us?" Andrew, the sniper of Team Four, questioned.

"Trust me, we've tried to get updates. They won't tell us anything other than 'he's still in surgery' because we're not his family."

"And you haven't contacted his family because….?" Team Four's bomb tech Scott asked.

Ed sighed and rubbed a hand across his head. "There's only one person listed as his emergency contact, but the nurse said it was an old number no longer in service. We don't have the names or numbers of any of his family members."

"If he even has any family members in the country." Jules added. "The last time I even heard him say anything about his family was he said his dad was overseas."

Andrew and Scott both gave humorless chuckles and had to stop themselves from rolling their eyes. "He talks about his family a lot, actually. You guys just have to be willing to listen."

The two teams didn't talk after that; Team Four left Team One with their thoughts and hoped, for Sam's sake, things with the team would be better after this.

...

It was about thirty minutes later when the door to the waiting room and, since a nurse had just left (after telling them it'd be at least a few more hours), they knew it was likely Troy and Shawn returning. Team One looked up at them, ready to talk about the elephant in the room, but their words stopped dead on their lips.

Troy and Shawn were back alright, but what shocked them into silence was the largely pregnant woman standing between them.

* * *

**Kind of short, but this needed to be posted before we got into the real good stuff.**

**I'm thinking Lindsay's not the kind of girl who's gonna be OK with people being mean to her man (;**

**Think she'll let Team One have it? Send me suggestions on how you think things should go down!**


	6. Chapter 6

**What? Another new chapter? This many uploads in such a short amount of time has got to be some kind of record! (For me at least)**

**I've been getting a lot of writing done at work since it's super slow right now and uploading everything from my phone (if there's any double posted paragraphs or misspelled words, this is why).**

**Question for you guys! Do you want me to upload updates as I get them finished OR do you want me to stockpile updates and start uploading on a schedule? Let me know!**

**And now, for your reading pleasure, chapter 6!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Let 'Em Have It**

At first, the room was silent.

Team One looked at the woman in confusion. She was very beautiful, her rounded belly and impending motherhood only seemed to emphasis her beauty more, and the rings on her left hand showed she was married. This confused Team One because they knew of all the spouses of Team Four's officers and Sam seemed like too much of a ladies man to be settled down. Plus, whoever this woman was, she didn't look like a concerned wife—she looked angry.

After a few seconds, the members of Team Four all approached the woman and hugged her, only making Team One's confusion grow.

"I don't want to interrupt this…. moment," Ed said, gesturing his hand between the group of people in front of him. "But would someone please fill us in on what's going on here?"

Troy looked at the woman next to him and she gave a short, curt nod. Troy looked back at Team One. "Guys, this is Lindsay. Sam's wife."

Their mouths dropped, shocked at the revelation. Suddenly all the pieces fit into place and dread consumed them.

Sam was married.

He and his wife were expecting a baby.

And he was currently in surgery, fighting for his life, after getting shot.

The members of Team One all shared a shocked look and it was clear they were all thinking the same thing._ Oh crap_.

...

"I'm sorry, you're Sam's wife?" Ed asked, extremely skeptically. "Sam Braddock?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, making sure her left hand was in front. "Yeah. His wife."

"Since when is Sam married?" Spike asked, though it came out more as a squeak. If the situation wasn't as serious as it was, the others might have laughed at how high his voice had gone.

"Well, they celebrated their first anniversary almost two months ago, do I'd say almost fourteen months." Shawn said with a little snark. He wasn't quite ready to let Team One off scotch-free from their behavior towards Sam.

Beside him, Lindsay snorted in amusement.

"No, really?" Jules asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure what Ed meant was why didn't Sam tell us he was married?"

"It's been my understanding that you guys didn't care enough to ask." Lindsay answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Look, guys," Wordy began, his hands up in a placating gesture. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we, as his team, have been unfair to Sam, really unfair, since he joined the team; we realize that now. Our behavior hasn't warranted him trusting us, understandably, but this," Wordy said, nodding his head towards Lindsay, "is something he should have mentioned."

"I agree with Wordy," Greg said. "This is something Sam should have told us."

"But would it have made a difference?" Lindsay asked as she cocked her head. "Would knowing that Sam was married change the way you guys treated him? Because I don't think it would've."

The guilty looks coming from the members of Team One didn't stop Lindsay's coming rant. She'd been waiting a long time to talk to Sam's team.

"Look, I know better than anyone how Sam's personality can rub people the wrong way. Believe me, I've known him since we were kids. Between the military, his very brief stent with the 51st division and the SRU, I've seen Sam on a lot of different teams and this is the ONLY one he's been a part of that hasn't been professional enough to put their feelings aside and focus on what needs to be done, and that's saying A LOT considering the unit he was apart of during his second tour in Kandahar dealt with a friendly fire incident. Despite what had happened, they were able to put all their emotions aside and work together and look after each other. You guys though, from what I've heard, you guys have been acting like Sam killed someone to get a spot on the team!"

Ed, ever defensive of his team despite their faults, jumped in. "You're not the least bit upset Sam didn't tell us about you or the baby?"

"No, because if I was in his position and had been treated the way he has, I wouldn't of told you either. What I am upset about is the fact that none of you bothered to call me and tell me he'd been hurt. I had to hear it TWO HOURS later from Troy and Shawn who, despite not even being on the same team as Sam, have been better teammates to him than any of you."

"Ok, stop." Ed practically growled, stepping forward with his arms tightly crossed over his chest, trying to look intimidating. "How do you—"

"Are you seriously trying to intimidate me right now?" Lindsay asked, annoyed. She chuckled once. "Both my father and my father-in-law are military Generals, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that."

The members of Team Four, and even some of Team One, glared daggers at Ed. Ed backed off, but not by much.

Ed took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry but how exactly did you expect us to contact you when we didn't even know you were in the picture?"

"Sam's personnel file." Lindsay said as if it was the most obvious thing. "I know for a fact I'm listed as his contact in there so if you're going to sit here and tell me that NONE of you knew about me, that tells me that none of you bothered to a) even read Sam's file since he joined the team or b) call Commander Holleran and get him to call Sam's family. Do you see the problem with that?"

"I certainly do," Commander Holleran agreed as he entered the waiting room. He came to a stop between the two groups. He looked at Lindsay and gave her the typical 'nice to see you again, just wish it was under better circumstances' spiel before turning to face Team One. "Why am I just now hearing about one of my officers in the hospital? And these issues within the team, why was I not informed?"

The members of Team One didn't answer, because they didn't have an answer. They knew they had messed up.

"Well," Holleran finally said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm standing Team One down until further notice. Not only do we need to find a temporary replacement for Sam, but there will be an investigation into the actions of Team One over the past few months. The ramifications will be determined after the investigation is finished but there WILL be ramifications. Do I make myself clear?"

It was a unanimous "yes sir" from the six members of Team One.

"Good." Commander Holleran said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go deal with the fallout from this situation. I trust from this point forward I'll be kept up to date on any changes in Sam's condition?"

Both teams nodded in answer. Commander Holleran nodded once in acknowledgement then left the waiting room.

Silence filled the room.

For Team One, it was a silence brought on by the guilt they all felt; guilt for how they'd been treating Sam, guilt for how their stubbornness and pride had gotten in the way of team dynamics, and guilt about the whole situation.

For Team Four, their silence was brought on by reflection and worry. They all thought of the good times and moments they had had with Sam and those thoughts brought on the worry that Sam might not make it through this.

For Lindsay, the silence was brought on by emotional exhaustion. When Shawn and Troy had first shown up at the school to bring her to the hospital, her anger towards Team One had pushed all other emotions aside. Now that most of her anger towards them had been aired, the fear and anxiety at Sam's situation were now at the forefront of her brain. She knew Sam was strong and stubborn and had survived injuries more dire than what he was currently battling, and she knew he had more than enough to fight for and live for, but there was still an overwhelming fear growing inside of her that she'd be forced to have and raise their child alone.

As time, and silence, continued to stretch on, everyone made their ways back to the chairs lining the walls where they would wait for news on Sam.

...

Time continued to pass and three hours after Commander Holleran left, a clearly exhausted surgeon entered their private waiting room.

Everyone immediately stood up and hoped that whatever news the surgeon had was good news.

Subconsciously, despite all the drama that had gone down hours ago, the members of Team One and Team Four all moved closer to Lindsay.

"Family of Sam Braddock?"

Lindsay stepped forward. "I'm his wife. How is he?"

The surgeon looked around at the other people surrounding her. He had heard from one of the nurses that there had been quite a bit of tension within the group. He focused back on Lindsay. "May I speak freely in front of the group or would you like to talk in private?"

The silence that followed seemed to drag on and everyone, especially Team One, was waiting on pins and needles to hear what Lindsay wanted.

* * *

**Ooooo, a cliff hanger. **

**What do you think Lindsay will choose to do?**


	7. Important Update

**Hey guys!**

This is probably not the update you guys wanted but, unfortunately, it's the update I have to give.

**THIS STORY IS ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.**

I was posting SUPER frequently because work was super slow and I had all the time in the world to write. Well, that's no longer the case. Work has picked up quite a bit, so I no longer have time to write much of anything while I'm there (it's been over a month and I have _maybe _100 words total on the next chapter). Writing when I'm at home and on weekends hasn't been happening because the real world hasn't been the nicest to me recently.

On top of all of that, my level of inspiration is at an all time low. I keep reading other Flashpoint fanfics, including some of my all-time favorites regularly in hopes that inspiration will hit, but so far, NOTHING.

**This is NOT goodbye! It's merely a see-you-later!**

I won't start posting and updating again until I have a few chapters written and ready, but hopefully that won't take too, too long.

Thanks for sticking with me! Hope to give you guys an actual update soon!


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